Boxing News: Paulie Malignaggi challenges Conor McGregor to winner-takes-all fight, wants to punch 'punk' McGregor in the mouth
What’s the story?
As per Yahoo! Sports, retired boxer and current Showtime analyst Paulie Malignaggi has challenged UFC megastar Conor McGregor to a boxing match, with the stipulation that the winner of said match takes home both his own as well as the opponent’s paycheck.
Additionally, Malignaggi asserted he would go as far as adding a clause that he’d have to give up a portion of his purse to McGregor if he failed to stop the MMA star and the match went the distance.
In case you didn’t know…
Paulie Malignaggi and Conor McGregor have been engaging one another in verbal battles well before the Mayweather vs McGregor ‘Money Fight’ was announced.
In reference to that, it was Conor who then roped in the services of boxing veteran Paulie, as a sparring partner to help ‘Notorious’ prepare for Floyd Mayweather.
The heart of the matter
Paulie Malignaggi elucidated that a potential boxing match against Conor McGregor would do big numbers owing to their high-profile fallout and media circus with one another. He added that Conor had problems with him in sparring despite the fact that he was at 35-40% physically as he’d been retired for a while before sparring the latter.
Furthermore, Malignaggi asserted McGregor crumbles under adversity both in MMA and boxing, and ‘punks’ out every time. He stated:
“I’m all about it, man. I’ll make it winner-takes-all,” Malignaggi said. I’m willing to risk fighting him for free just to punch him in the mouth again and again and again (and) that’s how confident I am they can’t beat me.”
“If Conor doesn’t get stopped by me – and I’m a guy who doesn’t get a lot of stoppages – if Conor doesn’t get stopped by me I should get penalized at least a portion of my purse just for not stopping the guy.”
What’s next?
A potential super-fight between UFC Lightweight Champion Conor McGregor and veteran pugilist Paulie Malignaggi is rumoured to be planned for St. Patrick’s Day next year i.e. March 17, 2018, at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York.
Author’s take
Conor McGregor is an MMA fighter and an excellent one at that.
However, the sport of professional boxing prevents him from using a few important weapons in his arsenal.
With that in mind, he still did a commendable job by taking FMJ to Round 10 in the Money Fight.
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